Mask That Functions as a Protective Cocoon - Research Paper Example

TOPIC: Masks The term mask de s, “a covering worn on the face to conceal one’s true identity; something that disguises or conceals” (The American Heritage Dictionary 187). Modern man being a complex being harbours a schism within himself. This schism is primarily the consequence of a wide chasm existing between our private and social selves. The longings of our private selves are seldom voiced publicly due to their: destructive, offensive and anti-social nature. Moreover, the most cherished desires of innumerable individuals are often in collision with the requisites of social morality. Ergo, as social beings, we persistently and painstakingly strive to maintain a vivid distinction between our inner and outer selves. Thus, in ordinary day-to-day living, people take refuge in masks for a two-fold purpose: to ward off unpleasant social criticism and to gain social acceptance. In effect, a mask functions as a protective cocoon – one that serves to conceal the essential inner self of an individual that is wounded and crippled by: personal misfortunes, character deficiencies, moral failings and shameful or objectionable desires; thereby, projecting a well-integrated and a thoroughly appealing persona of the mask wearer in front of the outside world. This premise will be substantiated through the following discussion. It is note-worthy that offenders or serial killers frequently resort to the use of masks or personas to avoid legal persecution and penalty. For the notorious Ted Bundy, the varied social disguises assumed by him, facilitated him in embarking on a journey of unrestrained violence and horrific homicides. What surprises one in Bundy’s case is the incongruity that existed between his pleasant and charming demeanour as a college student and his hauntingly lustful obsession with committing atrociously heinous murders of defenceless and vulnerable women. He himself claimed that, “I grew up in a wonderful home with two wonderful and dedicated parents…We regularly attended church…I was a normal person…I led a normal life” (Bundy). However, this apparent normalcy displayed by Bundy was merely a representation of his pseudo self or the persona. It was a disguise adopted by him in order to overshadow the destructive tendencies tumultuously bubbling within him. Similar to a predator waiting to devour its prey, Bundy would calculate every manipulative move in advance with immense precision. He paraded a highly likable persona of himself in front of his victims and his peers. In return, he was granted an enormous degree of confidence which subsequently led him to conclude that ‘he could get away with anything’ (Dekle). It is note-worthy that Bundy was a strikingly appealing man who had a seductively captivating effect on women and it was largely due to his pleasant demeanour that he – on several occasions- remained undetected and escaped scrutiny by the legal authorities. Perhaps, he was well aware of the fact that should he choose to abandon the enticingly enigmatic mask worn by him, the only punishment inflicted upon him would be a death penalty. In retrospect, it can undoubtedly be asserted that Bundy led a chameleon-like existence. He made indefatigable efforts to conceal his paradoxical and disharmonious nature. There were numerous facets of his personality which he ferociously strove to hide from his acquaintances- both in college and at work. One such secret of his was his ever-increasing predilection for graphic ‘sexual violence’ (Bundy). In his last interview to Dobson, he unabashedly acknowledged that, “this one, small but very potent and destructive segment (his addiction to pornography)…I kept very secret and very close to myself “(Bundy). This dark shadowy aspect of Bundy’s personality coupled with his unquenched carnal thirst overwhelmed him to such an extent that at times he felt as if he was “being possessed by something” very “awful and alien” ( Bundy). These inwardly guarded desires were regarded by Bundy as his most prized possession. And it was due to the ‘sense of excitement’ (Bundy) , exhilaration and thrill derived through the fulfilment of such forbidden desires that Bundy intermittently employed alternative personas during his interaction with other people. It needs to be stressed that as Bundy’s moral faculties entirely deteriorated in the latter part of his life, his mask simultaneously became more elusive and more pronounced. Viewed in a psychological context, Bundy’s dismal shadow was his most fierce adversary- one he could never disentangle himself from. Conversely, his social identity generated a safe haven for him; his ‘guile’ served as a protective barrier between him and the outside world (Dunbar). In a larger paradigm, Bundy’s dilemma epitomizes- to a certain extent- the plight of any individual with perplexingly negative tendencies who, initially struggles to harmoniously unite the disparate elements of his personality and who eventually, in order to avoid notoriety and evade suspicion, “wear(s) the mask that grins and lies” (Dunbar). Whereas Bundy’s persona was a means to conceal the dark sadistic realms of his psyche thereby, avoiding public reprisal; in Marlon Brando’s case, the mask served to conceal his: ‘tortured soul’, ‘tears and sighs’ and an underlying sense of anguish and guilt (Dunbar). However, the common denominator underlying Bundy’s and Brando’s persona is that, both assumed a disguised identity in order to gain social approval and to successfully masquerade through life as normal beings. The incongruity between Brando- the unrelentingly admired movie star, and Brando the man- who suffered from tribulations and personal misfortunes, arose due to his fragmented self. For a considerable part of his life, Brando was unable to reconcile his role as an entertainer with his personal convictions and ideals. Referring to the entertainment industry, he once exclaimed that, “the only reason I’m here is that I don’t yet have the moral courage to turn down the money” (Brando 3). Despite his unprecedented status as an actor and his unequivocal success, he once acknowledged that, “All right, you’re a success .At last, you’re accepted, you’re welcome everywhere. But that’s it, that’s all there is to it, it doesn’t lead anywhere” (Brando 8). This honest admission of Brando implies that he was suffering from the existential predicament that invariably engulfs every modern man- the inability to find a viable meaning in life- a fulfilling purpose or the pursuit of an ideal that transcends one’s individual entity. This underlying aspect of his personality both perturbed him and instilled a fear in him- the fear of losing his anchorage by renouncing everything familiar to him. However, since he perceived this discrepancy as a sign of his vulnerability, he employed a mask- one that effectively and impeccably displayed him as a larger-than-life figure- a man who inspired hope and who rekindled the spark of life that lay buried within his admirers. Despite the exciting roles enacted by him on-screen through the aide of his artistic persona, Brando in actual life suffered from a tormenting sense of ennui. He once emphasized that: “I get excited about something, but it never lasts more than seven minutes…That’s my limit. I never know why I get up in the morning” (Brando 9 ). In contrast to the dynamic aura exuded by his alter-ego or his artistic persona, Brando in real life was a ‘brooder’ (Brando 8) who silently meditated upon the bitter tragedies and failures in his personal life- his troubled childhood, his inability to form a bond with his parents that in turn instilled a feeling of distrust in him to the extent that, he became an absent father himself and utterly failed to form an emotional unison with his own children. The factor that poignantly contributed to the aching void within Brando’s fragmented self was the mother-hunger which he experienced for most part of his life. The man, who was adored to the point of worship, agonizingly admired his own mother. He painfully acknowledged once that: “My mother was everything to me. A whole world. I tried so hard…but my love wasn’t enough…My mother, she broke apart like a piece of porcelain” (Brando 13). Thus, underlying the overarching bold exterior of the man who portrayed Don Corleone was an emotional frailty- an unhealed wound. His anguish in relation to his mother was compounded by the fact that he blamed himself for her irreversible emotional breakdown. In order to hide his insecurities and unresolved personal issues from the public’s eye, Brando frequently undertook roles that depicted a rugged, sensual, adventurous and a careless man- Stanley Kowalski (A Streetcar Named Desire), Johnny Strabler (The Wild One) and Terry Malloy ( On The Waterfront) are some of the quintessential examples of Brando’s artistic prototypes. Despite being consciously aware of the discrepancy within his fragmented being, Brando failed to establish equilibrium within his personality. Perhaps deep down, he feared that if he renounced his mask or his persona as an actor, he would fall into the deep dark abyss of loneliness and isolation. Thus, for Brando, his persona was a pivotal requisite for his survival in the ‘very earnest game of life’ (Brando 9). He was well-aware of the fact that ‘when a person never receives any recognition’ he ‘stops relating’ (Brando 10). In the final analysis, as mortals we wear masks to inadvertently conceal our ‘torn and bleeding hearts’ (Dunbar). As a person who harbours guilt, disappointments and bitter disillusionments, I wear a mask to appear in sync with the surrounding world. In addition to this, there is always an ongoing feud between my conformist and non-conformist self. The former is represented by my persona whereas; the latter is repressed and is only granted selective expression. However, at times one aspect of my personality often intrudes upon the other. During such instances, I sublimate the yearnings of the non-conformist aspect of my personality in order to triumphantly act out my role in the façade of life. WORKS CITED: 1) Brando, Marlon: “The Duke in His Domain”. The New Yorker. Interview by Truman Capote. 9 Nov 1957:1-14. Web. 10 Dec 2011. 2) Bundy, Ted: “Pornography and Sex: Ted Bundy’s Fatal Addiction”: Interview by James Dobson. 23 Jan 1989. Web. 9 Dec 2011. 3) Dekle, George Bob: “Inside the Mind of Ted Bundy”. North Florida Today. Radio Interview. WJTK. n.d. Web. 10 Dec 2011. 4) Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “We Wear The Mask”. Poets.org: From the Academy of American Poets. n.d. Web. 10 Dec 2011. < http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15888> 5) The American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. New York: Random House, Inc., 1956. Print. Read More